520 



CHAPTER LXX. 



BREEDING, PUPPING, AND REARING. 



" IT is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneracy 

 of a domestic race." Thus speaks Mr. Darwin in his "Descent of Man," and no practical 

 breeder of any sort of stock can be found to disagree with him. No care and attention on 

 the part of the owner and his servants can turn a badly-bred, ill-formed animal into a good 

 one; and though it is impossible to bestow too much consideration on the treatment of the 

 stock, all exertions on behalf of animals badly bred will be, as a rule, thrown away when they 

 come before the judge. Years of anxiety go for nothing, if due attention is not paid not only to 

 the health and strength, but also to the proper selection of the breeding stock. As in the articles 

 on the various breeds full prominence has been given to the special points which must be studied 

 in each individual variety, it is unnecessary here for us to go beyond a general outline of the 

 management of what may be called the breeding materials. 



It is wonderful to reflect upon the success which seems to attend the efforts of some of the 

 most loosely-conducted establishments, and to see winner after winner turned out from a kennel 

 where no rules of breeding are for a moment studied, and where the management is often left by 

 the owner in the hands of a kennel-man whose knowledge of the breed is absolutely nil. Such 

 success in the few instances in which it occurs is eventually unfortunate in its results, both to the 

 breeders of the dogs themselves and also to many of the outside world, who, either to save them- 

 selves trouble, or through ignorance of the simplest principles of breeding, ignorantly rush for the 

 services of the nearest prize-winner, utterly regardless as to whether he is likely to " nick " with 

 the bitch they propose uniting with him, in shape, size, or pedigree. The result may be a 

 temporary success, but is certain ultimate destruction of all type. Breeding can be regulated by 

 rules and judicious selection, else how do we _see so many breeds of dogs now in existence (which 

 we can prove to have originated from a cross of two older varieties) keep on throwing puppies 

 which consistently resemble their parents in every property, and whose difference from them 

 only consists in minor insignificant and immaterial features ? By rigidly adhering to an ideal 

 type, and resisting all temptations to go from it, a breeder is certain in time to find himself 

 in possession of the sort of dog he has, rightly or wrongly, determined on possessing ; and 

 then he is in a position to discover, from the success of his dogs, whether his exertions are 

 to be repaid or not. 



We must commence, then, by impressing upon all beginners, and many older hands, the 

 desirability of adhering to one type if they want to make a name for themselves as amateur breeders. 

 Of course, in the case of those who breed solely for the market it is right that they should produce 

 good specimens of every recognised standard, so as to please buyers, whatever their own opinions 

 may be; but as these remarks are not intended to be addressed to dealers, who are perfectly 

 competent to manage their own business, but to amateurs, it is sufficient to point out the importance 

 of adhering to one type. By breeding to one standard, we necessarily imply that no one should 

 be induced to set up as a producer of canine stock until he has clearly made up his mind what 



